Chapter 23: One-Sided Crushing

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: One-Sided Crushing

Tong Yi’s commentary script had been pre-trained by Li Ye. How could a professional football match possibly lack live commentary?

This world possessed Inner Strength. Bolstered by Inner Strength, a martial arts expert’s voice could carry clearly across the entire football field without losing its pitch or going hoarse. It would sound just like a person talking normally, completely lacking the strained feeling of someone screaming at the top of their lungs. Moreover, Sirius Valley was surrounded by high mountains on three sides, providing a natural echo chamber that was inherently perfect for commentary.

Li Ye had distributed the football rules in the form of a pamphlet beforehand, but many people simply hadn’t read it or didn’t understand it. Live commentary could both rile up the atmosphere and explain their doubts, achieving two things at once. Previously, Li Ye had planned to hide the "handball" foul as a secret weapon. But after giving it some thought, he realized that if he wanted to popularize football, he really couldn’t keep the rules under wraps; he had to let everyone know them. Of course, the fact that a handball would trigger a freezing effect didn’t need to be publicized. Those who understood would naturally understand, and those who didn’t could just remain ignorant.

The commentary acted like a switch, once again igniting the atmosphere of the venue as the cheerleaders waved their flags. "Victory to the Fun Seekers!" and "Lord Li is mighty!" were chanted in perfect unison. They cheered on the athletes on the field while simultaneously suppressing the opposing team’s morale.

The football that Gongsun Jie had sent flying was quickly intercepted by the players in the back. After a few passes, it was returned to Li Ye’s feet.

"A brilliant pass! Lord Li takes the ball once again, and Gongsun Jie moves in for a close defense! This is the second confrontation between the two on the field today. Who will emerge victorious? Let’s wait and see!" Tong Yi’s commentary chimed in at the perfect moment. To keep up with the pace, he had sped up his delivery significantly, creating a faint sense of tension.

The audience unanimously focused their attention on the face-off between Li Ye and Gongsun Jie. Many were so nervous they didn’t even dare to breathe. This was especially true for the gamblers who had bet on Gongsun Jie; their hearts leaped into their throats after seeing him slapped to the ground by Li Ye in their very first clash.

To be knocked down by a greenhorn right out of the gate with a vicious slap, and then to be further agitated by the commentator’s sensationalist voice—Gongsun Jie was practically going mad with rage. He channeled his entire Skill Level, determined to strike Li Ye dead with his fists.

"Gongsun Jie unleashes his signature martial art—the Heaven-Shocking Fist! The sky-filling shadows of his fists have nearly sealed off all of Lord Li’s escape routes! Is this the true strength of a Half-Step Grandmaster? Good! He broke through! A flawless breakthrough! Gongsun Jie is knocked down again...

"Beautiful! Another resounding slap! Barely a few breaths into the game, Sect Leader Gongsun has been knocked down twice in a row by the exact same move. It seems Sect Leader Gongsun is not in peak condition today.

"Even with the same move, Lord Li has produced a different effect. Last time it was the left cheek, and this time it is the right. While controlling the ball, not only did he dodge Gongsun Jie’s killing blow, but he also casually delivered a perfectly natural palm strike! This strike is so flawless, it is practically the Divine Dragon Tail Swing! I suggest the entire audience cheer for this exquisite technique! Divine Dragon Tail Swing! Divine Dragon Tail Swing!"

"Divine Dragon Tail Swing!"

"Divine Dragon Tail Swing!"

In the stands, the professional cheerleaders of the Fun People Club chimed in at the perfect time, their shouts shaking the heavens.

At the commentary booth, Tong Yi grew increasingly excited. Spread out in front of him were numerous manuscript pages containing the fragmented commentary lines Li Ye had compiled for him. He had been forced into this role. Originally, commentating in front of so many people had made him feel extraordinarily ashamed. But once he was actually on the football field, influenced by the atmosphere, an indescribable surge of Spiritual Power suddenly appeared within his body. Then, his entire being thrilled with excitement.

Sure enough, Spiritual Power required influence to be generated. So what if he couldn’t play football? He could still become an Immortal! At this moment, Tong Yi felt like he was born to be a commentator.

Gongsun Jie was going completely insane. From start to finish, Li Ye was entirely focused on wrestling with that ball, leaving his entire body full of openings. It seemed as though the very next punch could send him to the afterlife. Yet, the bastard was as slippery as a loach, always dodging his attacks by a hair’s breadth. Even changing moves didn’t work.

What caused him the most despair was the moment Li Ye feinted past him. He had been completely on guard, but Li Ye’s hand appeared like a ghost and suddenly whipped across his face. Then, he was smacked to the ground once more. At that moment, Gongsun Jie’s face burned with pain, and his heart was filled with despair. Taking two slaps in a row without landing a single move on his opponent was enough to prove that Li Ye’s Skill Level was vastly superior to his own.

He originally thought Li Ye would follow up with a finishing blow. To his utter shock, after slapping him to the ground, Li Ye not only refrained from attacking further but actually stopped, shot him a contemptuous glare, spat on the ground, and ran off with the ball.

Realizing that Li Ye’s Skill Level was far higher than his, the thought of retreating sprouted in Gongsun Jie’s mind. But Li Ye’s blatant provocation instantly enraged him all over again. With a SWISH, he sprang to his feet like a leaping fish and chased after Li Ye in dead silence. He couldn’t stand this humiliation. He refused to believe that he, the dignified leader of a sect, couldn’t take down a mere brat!

Gritting his teeth, Gongsun Jie silently swore a vicious oath. "You little thief, don’t you love slapping my face? A slap won’t kill anyone, but if I land a single punch, you’ll be gravely injured if not dead! I’ll make you realize that underestimating your enemy comes with a price..." he thought.

"Gongsun Jie grows braver with every battle and chases after him once again! What kind of spirit is this? This is the sportsmanship of never giving up!

"His sprinting figure is like youth burning beneath his feet! But clearly, he can no longer stop Lord Li from breaking through the goal! The two defenders of the Profound Light Sect are acting like mere decorations.

"As the old saying goes, do not fear god-like opponents, but fear pig-like teammates..."

Tong Yi couldn’t care less about Gongsun Jie’s inner turmoil. Glancing at the script in front of him and combining it with the live situation, he passionately launched into a new wave of commentary.

Ever since stepping onto the field, Zhong Wenhao and his junior sister had been in a state of absolute bewilderment, watching Gongsun Jie get knocked down time and time again. They didn’t move, and Shi Xiang didn’t provoke them. After all, what Shi Xiang wanted was a spectacular game of football, not to defeat them.

It wasn’t until Li Ye flew past them like the wind that they subconsciously assumed a defensive posture. But Li Ye didn’t even spare them a glance as he dribbled the ball right past them. Then, the commentator’s voice drifted over.

Pig-like teammates?

Zhong Wenhao and his junior sister’s faces immediately flushed red. Just what the hell kind of game was this? How awkward! How humiliating!

But now, they were caught between a rock and a hard place. Even Gongsun Jie couldn’t beat Li Ye. If they went up, they would only be putting themselves forward to be abused. If they ended up like Gongsun Jie and took a couple of slaps to the face, how could they live with themselves?

But what if they didn’t go up? They would probably deeply offend the Profound Light Sect. Forget about building connections; if word got out, they would have no face left to survive in the Martial World. Just what the hell was going on here?

At this moment, regret filled Zhong Wenhao’s heart. If he had known the match would be like this, he wouldn’t have joined the fun for anything!

"Senior Brother, what do we do?" Zhu Zhirou looked around, swept a glance at the frenzied audience in the stands, and asked with a bitter expression.

"Let’s attack. If we manage to kill Shi Xiang, our trip won’t have been in vain. Maybe we can even distract Li Ye and help Elder Gongsun," Zhong Wenhao said, gritting his teeth. He drew his sword and stared at Shi Xiang, who was strolling around the field.

"What about the rest of them?" Zhu Zhirou asked.

"As long as they don’t move, ignore them. The two of us will team up and kill Shi Xiang first," Zhong Wenhao’s gaze gradually turned resolute. "Shi Xiang’s Skill Level is about the same as ours. If we work together, we can definitely finish him off quickly."

"Right." Zhu Zhirou nodded heavily and pulled out her sword as well.

The two of them had just taken a step.

"GOAL! The ball is in! Great shot!"

An excited howl suddenly erupted from the commentary booth, making the two of them shudder in fright. They subconsciously looked toward the booth. Then, the stands seemed to go mad. A group of uniformly dressed people stood up, blowing horns and waving flags, as thrilled as if they were celebrating the New Year.